Airlines could start weighing passengers before flying

TRAVELLERS may want to think twice about overindulging on holidays if airlines adopt new technology in a bid to cut costs and carbon emissions.

British tech firm Fuel Matrix is reportedly in talks with long-haul airlines in the United Kingdom to discreetly install pressure pad scales at self-service baggage drops or security body scan machines to weigh passengers before their flight.

Travellers may regret living it up on holidays

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The data could then determine passengers’ weights more precisely than the generous estimates currently in use - around 88kgs for men and 70kgs for each woman - as set by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Fuel Matrix’s chief operating officer Nick Brasier told The Independent that the majority of flights carried around one per cent more fuel than they needed.

They then burn about 0.3 to 0.5 per cent more fuel due to the extra fuel weight.

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The technology would not only be more economical for airlines but also cut the environmental impact caused by each flight.

"We’re not suggesting people should stand on the scales, but airports could fit ‘pressure pads’ in the self-service bag drop area in front of each screen,” Mr Brasier told the publication.

“After the bag has been checked in, the system can ask, ‘Are you standing on the pressure pad?’

“If the passenger taps ‘Yes’, then the weight can be recorded and passed confidentially to the airline.”

Amy MillsAn experienced journalist and travel writer, WHO's Travel Editor has a particular interest in wellness and immersive travel and enjoys sharing must-visit secret spots from her adventures around the world with her two little boys in tow.